Noteworthy Cr*p

• Last night I sent my Chick off to the other side of the US to visit her father for a few weeks. This is the first time in 10 years of visiting him that she has flown solo. We usually fly with her, but this was a nonstop flight and she IS 16 now... despite our best intentions though, her idiot sperm donor father did NOT get a gate pass and meet her at the gate but let her wander through Seattle Tacoma Airport by herself to find baggage claim - this involves getting on a tram... this is a huge challenge for Chick. She has such a poor sense of direction and an inability to look for or seek out directional signs -it's part of her learning disability and she called us from the airport a little confused. A) I'm soooo pissed at her inconsiderate father, B) I can't believe I wasnt' there to help her and C) I miss her already...
• Bear had us all to herself last night 'cuz Buddy was sleeping over with a friend and Chick's flight was at 6pm... we took her to dinner and she just glowed with all the attention she was getting.
• Charlie-dog got skunked last night. Not badly, I'm not sure what happened, but we came home, let him out to pee, and when we let him back in less than a minute later... oh the stench! I first noticed he was rubbing his face on the couch in a weird way and then the smell hit. I started shrieking and trying to get him back outside but my smart husband reminded me that the skunk might still be there so we wrestled the smelly dog into the garage. I did a little research and then decided to bathe him right away. So at 11 pm last night I was elbow deep in baking soda, dishsoap, and rice vingegar (you use what you have right???) and then doggie got rewashed with herbal shampoo, and washed again with an essential oil multipurpose spray cleaner just for the heck of it. Then I had to go and treat the couches... everyone smells fine and dandy today... mostly. Any tips are appreciated.
• My husband recently broke my heart a little. He was distressed over the fact that he didn't know how to run the water line to our new fridge and commented that he was afraid to lose my respect and that he sometimes thought he might be competing against my ex who is a carpenter by trade. It hurt me that A) I might have ever given him reason to feel that way and B) just the knowledge that he struggled internally with that huge fear made me sad... I know what it's like to always feel in competition with others (dont' most women feel this way?) and I never realized that he might feel he had to compete. I feel so proud of him in so many ways, and so honored to be his wife. He is an amazing person in general, and the best husband. I can't imagine my life without him and I would never want him to be any other way than just the way he is. I love that guy! I love every part of my life being married to him. I'm not being idealistic here, we have the same thorny parts that most married people do, but I wouldn't want anyone else but him to get through it all with.
• I have two older brothers T and R. For many years my oldest one T and I were at odds with each other. Then when my uncle was so sick we slowly got closer and when my uncle passed away we began regular communication. For the last few years it has been T and R that are at odds. We've never managed to be all 3 at peace... but last week T called wanting R's phone number (they live in the same town but haven't spoken in 4 years). T needed help with a job and was trying to clear his plate so he could fly to Italy to be with his wife who was deployed there. R agreed to help T and they've been out to dinner 3 times in a row already... my heart is so happy! With no mom, and now no uncle (who was like a father to us) it's nice that the 3 of us can be a family. I hope we can all stick together now.
• I have my practice blog...over there in my 'vacation spots' listed as "Messin' Round" but I'm tired of it already. I can't post on this one AND mess around on that one. There's just no time. I need to learn about message counters and how to tell who links to me. It's making my stomach churn with not being able to figure it out. Sigh.
• Next week summer gears up full force with Buddy at daycamp, Bear has 3 different sessions of summer school plus an art class. I'll be driving all over every day. I just want to lay in the sun and read... and magically lose weight in the process!